Recommended Shoes

A perfect shoe is one that should protect the skin from lacerations and cold, while minimizing the interface between the foot and the ground. The better the shoe is at replicating a bare foot situation, the greater its neurophysiological response: an essential protective mechanism in the human body.

In other words, the less the shoe interferes with the foot's natural mechanism, the more the foot will solidify and the greater it will perform to attenuate the forces of impact brought on by racing dynamics. Moreover, the majority of stability and absorption technology are redundant; they are without scientific basis and are especially ineffective in reducing the impact on the skeleton, natural pronation and the incidence of injuries! It is essential when changing your shoes that you do it very gradually in order to aid the mechanical change and the requirements on the muscles of the foot and calf to adapt progressively. Moving towards a shoe less absorbent and more delicate like a racing flat shoes or a minimalist shoes can be done just a few months.

The three main qualities of running shoes are:

Dynamism (Do the absorbent qualities of the shoe create a loss of energy and stability?)

Flexibility (Does the stiffness of the shoe place additional restraint on the foot’s natural motion?)

Lightness (Do the weight and size of the shoe interfere with the proprioceptive qualities of the foot?)

Discover what The Running Clinic thinks about each shoe by comparing the (+) or (-) elements.

Recommended Shoes

Trail Racing Shoes

This section presents shoes specifically designed for uneven surfaces such as cross-country, trail…or the Canadian winter. These shoes typically feature non-perforated outer soles that are textured for improved traction. The upper is usually constructed of abrasion-resistant or even waterproof material. The prime feature of a trail shoe remains, however, its minimalist qualities.

Inov-8 TrailRoc 150Men or Women

Dynamism

Flexibility

Lightness

New BalanceMinimus MT 00Men or Women

Dynamism

Flexibility

Lightness

Indice minimaliste : 94% TRC Rating 86%

Almost as if you had lugs under your barefeet! Stack height of 8mm with zero drop. Weighs only 4,5 ounces.

Minimalist index: 96% TRC Rating 83%

Zero drop line from NB, this one being the trail version and also their lightest model at 4,4 oz. Thin Vibram outsole.

Very Light, excellent grip, with a 3mm differential, this Inov8 would be the lighest trail shoe?? (at least on the "regular shoe" market). For less agressive crampons, see its twin brother X-Talon 195.

HokaMafate 3Men or Women

Dynamism

Flexibility

Lightness

TRC Rating 41%

You get 41mm closer to the sky but oh so far from heaven! This shoe has a wider footprint to obtain a better stability (???).

The ratings and reviews of the shoes described above are fully borne by their analyst Blaise Dubois, Lee-Manuel Gagnon and collaborators. The analysis process has NOT been influenced by shoe companies. The comments are personal views and opinions.